MONTREAL — Montreal has recently been certified as a leading destination for hosting sustainable events. The designation is based on iCompli Sustainability, which follows ASTM-APEX (Accepted Practices Exchange) standards.
Made up of over 300 professionals from different sectors of the business tourism industry, the ASTM-APEX standards are the first in North America to establish performance criteria for sustainable practices and responsible management systems for tourism stakeholders in the meetings sector. They cover different elements of event organization including meeting venues, communications, audiovisual, transportation, accommodations, food and beverage, energy, onsite offices and exhibits.
Developed in partnership with Green Meetings and Events, the certification positions Montreal well in a competitive global market in which business clients are increasingly attuned to the issues of sustainable development and respect of the environment.
“Several years ago, Tourisme Montreal embarked on an ambitious and pioneering green movement,” said Yves Lalumière, president and CEO of Tourisme Montréal. “We knew it was important, in collaboration with our tourism industry partners, to respond to the major challenges of sustainable development and the growing preoccupations on the subject held by different industry stakeholders. Today, we are proud of the results we have achieved. Montreal is now recognized as one of North America’s leading urban tourism destinations for hosting environmentally sustainable events.”
“Ten years ago, the Palais undertook a sustainable development approach, which materializes in the form of an ambitious action plan, a BOMA BESt (Level 3) certification, a strong sustainable events program and an innovative showcase of green roof technologies that includes a vegetable garden and beehives,” said André Saucier, vice-president, finance and administration and responsible for sustainable development at the Palais des congrès de Montréal.
iCompli Sustainability, a division of BPA Worldwide, developed the certification protocol for the ASTM-APEX standards and acted as an independent third party in the auditing process to ensure that Tourisme Montréal complied with the Destination category criteria.
